Evans runs for his mom — and maybe the NFL

PLANTATION, Fla. — — Of all the worries, anxieties and questions floating around in Virginia Tech running back Darren Evans' head, one issue dominates his thoughts.

It has nothing to do with how he's perceived by National Football League types. In a season in which he has led a deep backfield in carries, rushing yards and touchdowns, proving he has recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that stole his entire 2009 season, he's not spending every waking moment pondering what round he'll be selected in if he opts to forgo his senior season No. 12 Tech (11-2) and enter the NFL Draft.

That's not to say he has put the NFL aspirations on the back burner. Waiting to hear what the NFL Draft advisory committee will say about his draft projection isn't his first concern, but it's a close second.

Still, nothing is going to replace concerns he has about his mother, Shirley. She's at home in Indianapolis dealing with the effects of ongoing renal failure and preparing for thyroid surgery in January.

"I want to get back to see my mom," said Evans, who will lead Tech (11-2) on Monday night against No. 5 Stanford (11-1) in the Orange Bowl. "I've been away from her way too long. I've got a family of my own, but I'm still a mama's boy at heart. That's who I care about the most. She's been real sick lately. Time with her is cherished, so that's my main focus."

Evans, who has 139 carries for 817 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, has a lot to consider before Jan. 15, which is the deadline for underclassmen to decide whether they will make themselves eligible for the April draft. In addition to his mom's situation, his wife, Taneesha, and 4-year-old son, James, also have to be factors.

"It's not like I need to go to the NFL," said Evans, who ran for 1,265 yards in 2008 as a redshirt freshman. "We're not struggling — not one bit. We eat good every night. Every time James goes to the store, he gets a toy. If we couldn't do that, then we wouldn't, but I don't need to be a millionaire. I just want to play football."

As far as Tech running backs coach Billy Hite is concerned, this season's version of Evans has been stronger than the '08 version. Hite said Evans is better this season at recognizing defenses, blocking and catching the ball.

"After coming through spring practice, I felt really good about him," Hite said. "I think Darren Evans is a special back, he really is — the way he breaks tackles, averaging six yards per carry. Our offensive line did a hell of a job, but he broke a lot of tackles to get his average up to there."

For Evans, there's also the big issue of needing to finish up his undergraduate degree in sociology, which he is two classes away from completing. One of the classes — a course in social theory — would require him to be on-campus. His mom said she would love nothing more than watching her son walk across a stage to claim his diploma.

Shirley is undergoing dialysis treatments at her home four times a day, each one lasting 45 minutes to an hour. Her kidneys are failing due to high blood pressure. She has been on a transplant candidate list since 2008.

None of her family members are viable candidates to offer a kidney — except for Darren. He offered to give her a kidney, but she refused.

"He really hasn't talked to me about (her condition factoring into his decision)," said Shirley, who added her kidneys are working at about 10 percent full function. "I know he wants the best for me whatever happens. He might get too emotional if he thinks about it, but I know he wants his mom to be around as long as I can.

"I know he wants to go pro, and I wouldn't want to stop him. I get the feeling that he might go pro. I hope he does, because that's something he'd like to do, and I'd like to see him succeed."

She plans to be in Miami for the Orange Bowl. Just how important is it for her to be at the game? She has never ridden in an airplane, so she will travel via car with her husband, who is Darren's dad (also named Darren), her 17-year-old son, Davonte, and her niece to Newton, Mississippi to pick up Shirley's mother before continuing on to Miami.

Total driving time to get to Miami: about 23 hours.

Shirley got to see five regular season games this season, including the two losses to open the season. Now, Darren wants one bright moment in front of his mom in what could be his final NFL audition.

"You always have a way you want to lean towards (when pondering an NFL future), but it's just natural to weigh everything out and see how everything goes before you make the final decision," Darren said. "You never know."